Ungentlemanly Thoughts of a Gentleman
by Emcnary
Summary: The ungentlemanly thoughts that had riddled Remus' mind since the induction of a certain new Order member aren't necessarily a problem—it's not as if he'd share his wayward thoughts out loud. The problem arose when he realized his attraction for Nymphadora Tonks had quickly turned to something more.
1. Chapter 1

The dull and normally colorless kitchen of 12 Grimmauld Place was, for the evening, a bustling hub of activity. The splash of color and breath of fresh air in the room was brought that evening by Nymphadora Tonks. _Tonks_ , Remus quickly reminded himself. He certainly didn't want to find himself on the lovely young Auror's bad side. The activity was owed to it being the first full Order meeting since deciding on the manky old house as their headquarters.

Remus had been given the privilege of tailing the young Auror for a week at Dumbledore's request, watching her from afar to gauge her skills. Now that he was in the same room with her, the few naughty thoughts that he'd been unable to quash while observing her flew into his head, making it seem that the temperature in the crowded kitchen had gone up ten degrees. Remus hooked his fingers over his suddenly too tight collar and released the top button, hoping that his face wasn't flushed as the woman in question took a seat across from him at the table.

His eyes swept slowly from her bright pink hair down her pretty heart-shaped face, his gaze lingering on her lips for an indulgent moment. His gaze was luckily undetected as she chatted happily with Kingsley and Sirius—the latter so thrilled with company in the house he didn't notice his old friend practically ogling his young cousin. Sirius' inattention was a blessed relief considering the teasing Remus had received from him while tailing Tonks; Sirius had quickly come to the correct conclusion that Remus had a crush on the woman.

His gaze flitted from her mouth, across her jaw before descending down the slope of her neck. Still undetected, he allowed himself a brief moment to let his eyes slide down to the swell of her breasts covered by the fitted Weird Sisters concert tee she was wearing. He reached up and loosened his tie before taking a sip of tea and ignoring the part of his consciousness that called him a pervy old fool; he'd had so little color in his life, he wouldn't deny himself the opportunity to watch this beautiful young woman from afar. In fact, he found himself looking forward to the weekly Order meetings that he had nearly dreaded without the presence of James and—he could loathingly admit—Peter, as the time with his friends had been the highlight of his week during the first War.

Remus had been silent the entire time Tonks had been speaking with Kingsley and Sirius, watching quietly amused as she had upset both Mundungus and Severus with her presence, but hadn't let it affect her in the slightest—but could help himself no longer. The pull to speak to her was too great. He chose his in when she shared her secret of staying out of Potions teacher-inflicted detentions.

"Perhaps if Sirius had been that pragmatic he would have spent less time in detention," he said, earning a bright smile from across the table that warmed him down to his toes.

Yes, it seemed that Order meetings were to be the highlight of his week in the coming months, and he felt honor-bound to make sure he said something at each and every meeting that would make him worthy of her brilliant smile.

* * *

A/N: Happy Valentine's Day! In the name of romance, I am posting the first installment of a little series of shorts that is a companion fic to my OOtP-era RLNT fic titled "Jinxed Hearts". If you haven't read "JH", don't worry-but you should totally go to my profile and click on "Jinxed Hearts" and give it a go.

To those faithful followers of "JH", I promised you all a one-shot after taking the necessary hiatus for my NaNoWriMo project and I never delivered! Please take this series as a gesture of my humble apology:D. Enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2

Three days later found Remus sitting across from Tonks at the scrubbed wooden table of the shabby kitchen once more. This time, the only other person at the table was Sirius, which, without the cover of a large group of Order members, made it impossible for Remus to gaze as overtly at Tonks as he had during the meeting earlier in the week. Which wasn't to say he wasn't taking advantage of openly watching her when possible as the three of them companionably ate the takeaway she'd brought—he certainly was. The lavender curls she was sporting certainly drew his eye, and he couldn't help but ponder whether he preferred the color over the vivid pink she'd worn before. After some careful deliberation, he decided that the pink was his favorite of the two.

Tonks' laughter had the ability to summon a smile to Remus' face more readily than anything had in years—more than anything ever, quite possibly. He found himself inexplicably drawn to the young woman, letting her smile and playful banter ease the tension that was almost constantly present in the dark and depressing House of Black. As much as Remus cared for his friend, it wasn't easy to keep Sirius afloat from the despair that threatened to drown him daily. Perhaps Tonks' presence would help; he couldn't help but liken her to a ray of sunshine shimmering through the fog of a long winter.

His musings were cut short when Tonks' question of their nicknames chased away his good mood. The moment had come—so quickly, he lamented—when she would imminently become aware of his condition. The condition that kept him, and would forever keep him, from forming any lasting attachment to a woman. He waited, annoyed at Sirius for laughing when she wondered aloud if the nickname 'Moony' was an indication of his pranks being of the pants-dropping nature while at school. Before he could attempt to come up with something that he hoped was a matter-of-fact and business-like statement about his Lycanthropy, she shocked him into silence.

"Ah, I see," she said casually, as if discussing the fish and chips they'd just eaten. "It's a werewolf thing."

The utter disbelief that not only did she already know he was a werewolf, along with the fact that she didn't seem too terribly upset by the notion, made him stare silently at Tonks as she took a sip of the whisky Sirius had poured her and raised her eyebrows at the two men in her presence. As if _they_ were the mad ones. He was only distantly aware of Sirius' mild indignation and his own protestations—how could he be aware of anything other than the possibility that the beautiful young woman across from him might truly not be bothered that he turned into a dangerous creature once a month. He mentally shook his head at the ridiculous hope that had formed in his head, voicing aloud his opinion that she was mad.

"I'm sure some people are offended by your condition, but I'm certainly not," Tonks said, holding his gaze. "I suppose you'll have to find some other way to offend me if you don't want me around."

There was nothing he could do to keep the smile off his face at her words. So sure, so certain she sounded; just like her smile, it warmed him from the chill that had settled in just minutes before when she'd revealed her knowledge. Remus knew there was nothing more he wanted at that moment than to keep her around.

* * *

A/N: I know, I know...you were all hoping for chapter 40 of "Jinxed Hearts", but here is a tiny consolation prize for your wait! It's coming soon, I promise! Hopefully you enjoyed a little glimpse into Tonks melting Remus' heart:).


	3. Chapter 3

Remus pushed open the door to the hall, relieved to leave Sirius' foul mood behind for even a brief moment. Tonks was due to arrive any minute, and Remus wanted to make sure that the troll leg umbrella stand—or the rug, or a loose floorboard, or the door threshold—didn't trip her up again. He had scarcely stepped into the hall before a petite, feminine body crashed into his. His arms seemed to move of their own accord, wrapping tightly around Tonks to keep her from rebounding off him and crashing to the floor. It took his traitorous mind mere seconds to register the lovely perkier bits of her pressed exquisitely against his own chest, making it difficult to concentrate on anything other than how perfectly the curves of her body fit against him.

"You certainly know how to make an entrance," Remus said, looking down into her surprised face and hoping that in his addled state he managed not to sound like a complete duffer.

If he ever wanted to recall the rest of the brief conversation, he'd require a Pensieve, because the moment Tonks looked up at him and rewarded him with her smile, Remus had been unable to focus fully on their words. The excuse of holding the door for her and pouring her a cup of coffee proved the perfect opportunity to get ahold of himself before sitting across from her to join the conversation. Their chat, though brief since they were headed to Privet drive, was extremely pleasant. He marveled at her ability to draw Sirius away from his bitter mood with some comment about offending the Hippogriff that miraculously drew laughter from his increasingly-despondent friend. In addition to Sirius' buoyed spirits, Remus couldn't help but smile inwardly at the few quick glances Tonks threw his way when she ostensibly believed him to not be paying attention. Not that—he was quite certain—her glances were anything more than idle curiosity, but he wouldn't be too hard on himself for daring to dream.

Leaving a sulking Sirius in the kitchen, Remus and Tonks set out for Privet drive. There was a perfect spot in the side garden under the kitchen window for their spying purposes. The walk in the fresh air had helped clear his senses slightly, thankfully making the delectable memory of her body pressed against his slightly less acute, especially since they were both under a Disillusionment Charm and he could no longer see the way her fitted denims showed the curve of her...Remus took a deep breath and shook his head slightly, pointedly telling himself he was there to spy on the Dursleys, not praise Tonks' choice of forgoing robes for their outing.

His plan of leaving his ungentlemanly thoughts behind was thwarted as they took took their seats and, both of them still under the charm to keep them invisible, Tonks sat squarely on Remus' lap. She lingered there but a moment as she whispered a joke, but his body seemed to need only that instant to react to the feeling of her shapely rear-end perched enticingly on his body. In a desperate effort not to embarrass himself like an adolescent noticing a girl's womanly assets for the first time, Remus grasped her waist and reluctantly lifted her and helped her maneuver to a spot on the ground. He forgave himself the moment of weakness in which he leaned forward and allowed the scent of citrus fill his sensitive nostrils. Strictly speaking, there was no need for Remus to lean in to enjoy the lingering smell of whatever shampoo or body wash she'd used that morning in the shower—his acute sense of smell had noticed it when she'd crashed into him earlier, but how could he pass up the chance to investigate more closely? The scent of Tonks' skin mingling with the fresh scent of her soap imprinted itself in his mind.

Remus sighed—relief battling with disappointment—as Tonks announced she was off to follow Harry during his usual wanderings that kept him away from Privet drive; there was no way he'd be able to focus on anything Harry's bullish uncle said if the owner of the beautifully rounded arse that now filled his mind was sitting right next to him all day. As he watched Tonks' invisible steps flatten the grass until she'd turned the corner, the light summer breeze brought with it a hint of her lovely fragrance. The scent made him smile, even as he heard Vernon Dursley start in with his usual scathing remarks that seemed to pepper any conversation he had that didn't regard his horrendously spoiled son. Previous Order reports stated that Harry remained far from Privet Drive for hours at a time—perhaps he would take the time to indulge himself the fantasy of wondering where he would take Nymphadora Tonks on a date. Innocent, fully-clothed fantasies, of course, as Remus had no desire to be in further need of a cold shower at the end of the day. Suddenly, the hours ahead of him spying under the Dursley's kitchen window didn't seem so tedious after all.

* * *

A/N: A few hundred words to keep you all happy until Chapter 1 of the next fic is ready! Enjoy:)


	4. Chapter 4

"Looking forward to your mission tonight?"

Remus glanced up from his copy of the _Daily Prophet_ only to look immediately back to the story in front of him. Sirius had taken a seat opposite at the kitchen table and Remus didn't trust the calculating look on his face. It spoke volumes that he'd rather direct his attention to the infuriating story—the third that week—that detailed just how untrustworthy Dumbledore and Harry were rather than endure whatever conversation Sirius seemed to be gearing up for. His friend's favorite topic of late was badgering him over the newest addition to the Order. Sirius had unfortunately spotted that Remus held an interest beyond that of friendly colleagues with the beautiful young Auror.

"Do you mean am I looking forward to spending an evening in what is likely the most deplorable pub in all of the U.K.?" Remus asked, knowing it was no use but still injecting as much casualness into his tone as possible. "Not especially."

Sirius sniggered. "I was actually wondering if you were looking forward to spending the evening with Tonks."

Remus turned the pages to where the story continued on page five. "It will be a welcome change to partnering with Dung."

Sirius merely hummed in response and poured himself tea from the pot resting on the table between them. Remus was glad it was tea rather than Firewhisky and internally praised—not for the first time that week—the arrival of the Weaselys and Hermione. The presence of children in the house had brought about a drastic reduction in the amount of liquor his friend consumed.

"Posing as Tonks' date will certainly be better than a date with Dung."

"The operative word being 'posing'," Remus murmured, knowing where the line of questioning was headed. "This is a mission, not a date."

With any luck, Tonks would put her skills to test by morphing herself into a man so they could play the part of colleagues rather than dates. It would certainly help keep his focus if she were a man. If anything, it would likely decrease the amount of time spent fantasizing about how pleasant the curve of her arse had felt against him when she'd tumbled into his lap the week before.

"But you wish it were a date."

Remus looked up just in time to catch the tin of biscuits Sirius had Summoned as it slipped through his friend's fingers and nearly hit him in the forehead. He opened the tin and snatched one of Molly's chocolate biscuits before passing it across the table, willing his friend to drop the subject before another occupant of the house overheard. The last thing Remus needed was for Molly to catch wind of his attraction to Tonks.

"Reckon she'd give you a date if you'd locate your bollocks and ask her," Sirius continued before shoving an entire biscuit into his mouth.

"You're mad," Remus said with a shake of his head.

Sirius thankfully chewed and swallowed the biscuit before answering. "Completely barking, actually, but I'm right about this."

Eyeing his friend critically, Remus said, "I thought you'd tucked the whisky away with the kids in the house."

Sirius smirked. "I'm not pissed. This just happens to be the one subject where I'm smarter than you."

Despite the smirk, Remus could sense that there was earnestness behind Sirius' words. "I've nothing to offer her."

"From what I've seen in your delicate state, you've plenty to offer a bird," Sirius replied, sniggering again.

The indignity of waking up starkers once a month in the Shrieking Shack with his friends was apparently going to haunt him far longer than he'd expected. Unable to resist the opportunity, Remus rolled up the folded _Prophet_ and reached across the table to whack Sirius on the back of his head, glad that all pretense of a serious conversation was gone.

Arthur entering the kitchen gave Remus hope that he would be saved from any further taunts.

"I'm helping myself to your tea, if you don't mind. I'm afraid these overnight shifts are making me feel my age," Arthur said as he took a mug from a cabinet and poured tea from the pot before sitting next to Sirius. "Not interrupting, am I?"

"Of course not," Sirius said, sliding the milk pitcher down the table. "We were just discussing how Moony's todger's been mourning the loss of his bollocks."

Remus picked up the _Prophet_ , prepared to whacked his friend on the head again, but Sirius Vanished the paper from his hand before it made contact.

Arthur chuckled. "You two'd better watch yourselves. Molly will be down in a moment with the kids in tow to put supper on the table." He paused and took a sip from his tea then looked over the rim of his teacup at them. "She casts a mean Soapy Jinx for foul language."

As if on cue, the kitchen door flung open, Fred and George leading the herd of teenagers, Molly right behind the group, blocking any chance the kids might have for retreat from kitchen duty. As Molly dictated orders to the group, all three men looked toward the door; Remus didn't need to rely on his sensitive hearing to know that Tonks was shouting angrily for Sirius from the entrance hall. Fighting all his instincts to go and tend to Tonks after she'd likely fallen prey to the umbrella stand, Remus sat back in his chair as Sirius jumped up from the table, although he couldn't help the slight smile of anticipation at the imminent arrival of the woman who occupied so many of his recent thoughts.

"Any particular reason your friend is questioning your manhood?" Arthur asked with a look on his face that made Remus wonder if the twins' mischief had been passed down from their father rather than their uncles as everyone insisted.

Luckily Remus was spared from having to answer Arthur's question when a cheerful greeting rang through the kitchen.

"Wotcher, everyone!"

Arthur smiled and set down his mug before standing and joining Molly at the cooker where she was stirring a pot and insisting that Tonks join them for dinner. Remus' heart pounded as the young woman rounded the table and sat down next to him. It wasn't lost on him that she sat beside him even though every other seat around the table was unoccupied.

"Don't you look quite the vagrant?" Tonks asked as she eyed his shaggier-than-usual hair and the light beard he'd let grow in in preparation for their mission to the Quill.

To Remus' delight, Tonks' robes gaped as she crossed one leg over the other and he caught sight of one hosiery-covered leg. Expeditious scrutiny revealed an enticingly short dress under her robes—she certainly wasn't planning on morphing into a man for that evening's disguise. He had to quickly remind himself that they were headed out on a mission, and he couldn't allow the distraction of Tonks in a dress diminish his ability to focus on the task at hand. Although he'd wager the distraction was well worth the loss of information gathered.

Attempting—likely in vain—to keep his mind focused, he forced his lips to form the beginning of a question, but his mind went suddenly blank, words flying from his mind when Tonks touched her hand to his stubbled cheek. He froze as her fingers stroked his lightly-bearded jaw before she pushed them through the floppy hair that habitually rested on his forehead, unable to stop the image from popping into his mind of her running her hands through his hair amidst a passionate embrace.

 _Pull it together, old man._

Remus had a feeling this was going to be a long night as his self-control battled for dominance over desire.

* * *

A/N: Just a little fun to tide you over before "Friends to Lovers: There and Back Again" starts. It should be up by the end of the week-hooray!


	5. Chapter 5

The kitchen door swung shut behind Ron and Hermione. Moments before, the teenagers had asked Remus to run an errand to Honeydukes for birthday gifts for Harry, sparking what he thought was a brilliant idea. Remus turned to Tonks and hoped he could summon some of his supposed Gryffindor courage and ask if she'd like to accompany him to Hogsmeade. Time alone with the woman whilst not tending to Order duties was incredibly appealing.

He opened his mouth to speak, praying his brain would be able to communicate his thoughts better than a fifth-year asking for a study date. With the words on the tip of his tongue, his mouth went suddenly dry as Tonks let her head tip back, eyes closed, as she gave a low moan of approval deep in her throat at the mention of Honeydukes chocolate. The unbidden image of Tonks starkers on his lap with her head thrown back in the same manner—the low moan in response to their activities, of course, not chocolate—slammed its way into his consciousness and made the blood leave his brain and surge to the lower half of his body so quickly he was sure that if he'd been standing he'd have hit the floor.

"Honeydukes chocolate and I have a long-standing love affair. I haven't had any in ages," Tonks said with a sigh.

Ignoring thoughts of what he hadn't had in ages, Remus swallowed roughly, hoping his voice wasn't shaking as he asked, "Fancy a trip to Hogsmeade?"

"Oh, I wish I could."

Remus failed to hear the reason behind why should couldn't go because as soon as she stood from her seat, Tonks raised her arms over her head in a stretch that pulled up the hem of her Hufflepuff Quidditch tee to expose a couple of inches of creamy skin and a perfectly round belly-button. The brief glimpse of her smooth abdomen did nothing to dampen his sudden arousal—it fueled it, really.

A brief conversation between Tonks and Sirius gave Remus a moment to close his eyes and take a deep breath-which proved rather unhelpful as he couldn't stop the earlier image running through his head.

 _Books._

 _Chudley Cannons._

 _Mad-Eye in a dress._

Even with Tonks' fingers running through his hair as she cheerfully bid them goodbye, the last thought did the trick and quelled his desire enough that he would be able to stand from the table without embarrassing himself. Determined to leave the kitchen before Sirius said anything clever, Remus drained his tea and rose, his friend's sniggers following him into the hall. Without the distraction of Tonks' presence, Remus was able to recall one tiny bit of what she'd said. Quickly calculating what he could spare, he decided that he would deny himself his chocolate fix and use his meager funds instead to buy her the best piece of Honeydukes chocolate he could afford.

* * *

A/N: Hello and happy Friday! I'll just leave this little update here to tide you all over while you await chapter 2 of "Friends to Lovers: There and Back Again". Today begins spring break for my herd of children, so cross your fingers that I can find time (even if it means I have to hide in the laundry room with my laptop...they'd never follow me there;) to write in between keeping them entertained for the week.


	6. Chapter 6

Remus watched in quiet amusement as Tonks devoured her sandwiches—courtesy of Molly Weasley—in short order, having apparently not eaten all day due to juggling Auror duties while also contributing heavily to the plan to secret Harry away from Privet Drive. Her voracious appetite and constant need for food was a mystery to him. He knew she exercised regularly, having knocked on her door the previous week to deliver Order correspondence and delightedly seeing that she was still wearing her fitted running attire. Exercise habits aside, she seemed to constantly be in need of food and usually ate more than he did when she took meals at Headquarters. This was just one more piece of the puzzle of Nymphadora Tonks that he hoped to solve.

With one ear on the conversation coming from Molly and Kingsley, Remus watched as Tonks popped the last bite of sandwich into her mouth with a sigh. Her contented expression was made even more adorable by the bread crumbs that clung to her bottom lip and one cheek. How he'd love to use his thumb to brush the crumbs from her lip before pressing his lips to hers…

Remus' mind jerked unwillingly from his fantasy when he heard Kingsley ask Tonks if she felt better. He probably shouldn't allow his ungentlemanly thoughts distract him when the object of his musings was sitting across from him and the kitchen would soon be full of Order members.

"Loads," Tonks replied.

Remus frowned at the smile and sigh that accompanied her answer to Kingsley.

"Thanks, love."

 _Love?_ A chill settled over his body at her words to Kingsley. Had he seriously misjudged their relationship? He'd had the impression from Kingsley that he and Tonks were colleagues and friends—and nothing more—from the moment the young woman had been brought up in conversation as a potential Order member. Now he wasn't sure. And as their easy banter continued, Kingsley picked up a napkin and reached over to touch it to her cheek, brushing away the crumbs he'd pictured himself brushing away in his brief fantasy moments before.

How had he missed this?

"Are you all right? Did your whiney pooch keep you up too late last night?"

Remus looked up and did his best not to scowl at the lovely woman sitting across from him before saying, "I'm fine and he didn't."

His response was far more curt than he'd meant it to be, but he wasn't in the mood for his usual politeness. He simply opted not to answer when she asked again if he was all right.

Remus did his best to tune out Sirius' prattle when his friend sat down next to Tonks and spelled out his theory behind his tetchy mood—the full moon was just days away. Unable to contain his scowl any longer, Remus slouched back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. As he pondered the unpleasant likelihood that Tonks was engaged in a romantic relationship with Kingsley, Bill appeared in the kitchen. He sauntered to Tonks' chair, stopping to place his hands on its back and lean his head close to hers.

Bill had said more than once that Tonks was like a little sister to him, but Remus couldn't help but wonder if that was something he'd also failed to judge accurately.

"...talked with Charlie today…"

 _Charlie?_

"What did your adventurous brother have to say?"

Charlie Weasley. The second oldest Weasley son had met with Dumbledore at Headquarters once over the summer. Handsome, broad-shouldered, employed... adventurous, Tonks had called him. From what Remus gleaned from the blessedly brief conversation, the young dragon keeper was still pining for her. Honestly, Remus could hardly blame him.

 _Good Godric, I'm a fool._

Remus did his best to listen as Order members offered their reports, staring the entire time at the table in an attempt to prevent his eyes seeking out the beautiful woman that he harshly told himself he'd had no business fantasizing about in the first place. She would never be his.

The chatter that erupted around him signaled the end of the meeting, and Remus pushed back from the table and fled the kitchen. He took the stairs two at a time, slamming the door shut when he reached the solitude of his bedroom. The knock that sounded was most likely Sirius, and he flung the door open, ready to tell his friend he wasn't in the mood for his clever comments or the company of Order members staying for dinner.

It was Tonks, not Sirius, who stood in the hall, hands on her hips, eyes blazing. "What's got your knickers in a twist?"

Even though all his instincts were telling him to shut his mouth before he revealed just how badly he fancied her, his temper pushed him to argue with Tonks—even as she deservedly called him out on his assumption that she and Kingsley were more than friends. Her temper seemed to reach a fever pitch when the fringe that hung across her forehead turned fiery red at the tips. This did little to dissuade him from his arguments. What he wanted to do was pull her into his room and press her against the door to find out exactly what it would be like to lose control and kiss her, put his hands on her body, discover what else he could do to her that would turn the rest of her hair that fetching shade of red.

"You know what, Professor?"

 _I know you're in danger of breaking my control completely this close to the full moon._

Remus watched as Tonks closed her eyes and morphed the rest of her pink hair the shade of red her temper had brought about. When her eyes were fixed on his again, he was startled to see that behind her temper there was hurt in her eyes. It was subtle, and if one hadn't been studying her face as often as Remus had since they'd first met, one would have missed it.

"I'm revoking your 'Nymphadora' privileges."

Frantically, Remus tried to think of something—anything—to say to get her to stay so he could figure out what exactly he had done to bugger up this whole situation. Nothing brilliant came to mind, so, inevitably, she turned and thundered down the steps, leaving him standing on the landing. As he stared after her, wondering what in the name of Merlin had just happened, he decided that he still felt like a fool. An utterly and completely confused fool.

* * *

A/N: Just a little mid-week pick-me-up:). Enjoy!


	7. Chapter 7

Remus ignored everything around him and focused solely on the woman in front of him. The dank, grubby condition of the alley off Grimmauld Place that served as an Apparition point didn't matter. All that mattered was her.

 _Nymphadora_.

How he'd managed to talk his way back into her good graces after their row, he'd never know, but he thanked Merlin he had. They were standing so close to one another, their bodies nearly touching. Somewhere in his brain, rational thought was fighting a battle against temptation; if he leaned in just a bit, he'd no longer have to merely imagine how perfectly their bodies would fit together. Remus reminded himself to breath and was rewarded with her now-familiar scent—citrus and ginger and just _her_. Mixed in with the expected was something completely unexpected. For once he didn't curse his heightened senses that told him she not only tolerated him standing so close his robes were brushing against hers, but she _wanted_ him that close. Maybe she even wanted him the way he'd dreamed of having her. The thought made their conversation—negotiating the terms of his revoked 'Nymphadora' privileges—seem like it was taking place from a great distance, what with the sound of his pulse thundering in his ears.

He drank in the sight of her: the pretty flush to her cheeks, her quickened breaths, the way her tongue darted out to moisten her lower lip. It was all—he could still hardly believe it—for him. The thought was intoxicating.

He let his fingers trail along her jaw before tipping her chin up. Her dark eyes were intense. "May I now have my privileges back?"

"That all depends, Professor."

Gods, her breathy voice and the way her lips moved around the word 'professor' were enough to undo his self-control completely. Remus lowered his mouth so his lips were not quite touching hers. Hovering. Waiting.

"On what?"

Her response was a whisper. "If others now decide to take the liberty."

"I'll see to it they don't."

The light brush of his lips against hers warmed Remus' entire body. He'd never wanted anything more in his life than to kiss the lovely witch in front of him—really kiss her. But he would take nothing for granted. He drew back slightly, eyes fixed on hers, and searched for confirmation that she wanted him to continue. What he saw in Nymphadora's expression as she peered up at him told him all he needed to know.

In answer to his silent question, she closed her eyes and Remus eased her closer. Their lips met, but far too briefly.

Remus decided he would never forgive the pop of Apparition that startled them apart.

* * *

A/N: Here's your mid (ish) week dose of pick-me-up!


	8. Chapter 8

Remus closed the door to his room with more force than necessary. Leave it to his bad luck that the one and only Albus Dumbledore had interrupted what would surely have been the most amazing first kiss known to wizard-kind. Once the disappointment had worn off that their intruder wasn't someone Remus could jinx in protest—he'd have happily cast an undesirable spell at Mundungus or even Kingsley under the circumstances—he'd felt uncomfortably like a fifth-year caught with a girl behind a tapestry. Not that such a thing had ever happened during his tenure at Hogwarts, but under Dumbledore's steadfast gaze, he could easily imagine the horribly awkward moment.

The memory of his lips briefly brushing against Nymphadora's just minutes before flooded Remus' mind and he smiled. Thank Merlin the Headmaster had been kind enough to time his Apparition to just after their lips had touched, rather than before; if Dumbledore was requiring him to immediately set out on a mission, at least he'd have the memory of her soft lips briefly pressed against his to keep him warm until he returned and could find the time to kiss her properly. The promise of what was hopefully to come was certainly worth waiting for.

Remus was abruptly brought out of his reverie when the door at his back flung open, pushing him to stumble towards his bed in a very Tonks-like maneuver. Not needing to turn to see who the intruder was—anybody but Sirius would have knocked before entering—Remus righted himself and turned to his friend. "Please, do come in."

"I will, thanks." Sirius shut the door behind him. "So, did you kiss her?"

Remus gave Sirius a quelling look. He knew his friend wouldn't take the 'it's none of your business' response well and said, "I walked her to the alley just as Dumbledore arrived."

It wasn't the whole truth, but he really didn't feel the need to share this with his nosy friend.

Sirius narrowed his eyes. "Nothing happened, then?"

"Tonks is a fellow Order member who I get on quite well with," Remus said as he crossed the room to his wardrobe. "That's all there is to it."

 _For now._

"That's a load of shite. Oh, come on, old man," Sirius said, flopping back on Remus' neatly made bed. "I've told you plenty about the birds I've snogged."

Remus grabbed his rucksack from its spot hanging from the wardrobe door. "Yes, whether I wanted to hear details or not."

He had never felt it necessary to know just how 'bloody fantastic' Sirius found the womanly assets of the young witches he'd had to take classes with.

"I don't want details, you great prat," Sirius said, wrinkling his nose. "I just want to know if you finally found your bollocks."

"I wasn't aware I'd lost them."

The rucksack flew from Remus' hands as Sirius pushed himself to a sitting position and picked up the bag from where it landed on his lap. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Remus strode over and reached for the bag—only for Sirius yank it away before he could snag it.

"You do realize you'll lose if we have to wrestle for my bag," Remus said as he made a grab for his stubborn friend's arm.

Sirius scrambled backwards on the bed, Remus quickly following. Remus snagged a handful of robes, but Sirius rolled off the bed, landing on the floor with an 'oof'. Inspired by Sirius' rare whimsical mood, Remus grinned broadly and clambered over the large bed. He pounced on his friend and used his considerable height and strength over his friend's lean body to his advantage. They grappled for the rucksack, made harder for the both of them as they wheezed through their laughter.

Bag in hand, Remus' size advantage proved him momentarily victorious, until Sirius suddenly transformed into Snuffles as Remus pushed himself to his knees. The errant canine clutched his prized rucksack between his teeth and shook it vigorously back and forth like a pheasant he'd successfully hunted.

Remus nearly admonished the giant black dog for putting his overly-mended bag at risk, but the words died on his lips when the dog became human again. Sprawled on the floor, his body shaking with mirth, Sirius looked so much like the carefree youth of their school days. How many times had the Marauders lightheartedly scuffled like this in their dormitory—fighting over the last piece of chocolate, a piece of mail, a Muggle comic book. The memories along with the man laughing on the floor in front of him brought a wide grin to his face.

"Come on, Moony," Sirius said as he got to his feet. "It's an easy question. Did you kiss her or not?"

"I—" Remus exhaled a long breath and looked to the ceiling. Maybe it would be easier to tell him something. In the face of the moment of levity—when Sirius spent so much of his time battling his demons—Remus couldn't deny his friend. "Not really."

Sirius groaned and tossed Remus the rucksack. "Oh, Merlin, tell me you didn't cock it up."

"I have kissed women before, you know."

Arms crossed over his chest, Sirius cocked an eyebrow. "All right, then. When was the last time you kissed a woman?"

"Would you want to answer if I asked you the same?"

"I wasn't too keen on the type of kiss at my disposal at my last prison, thank you very much."

Remus didn't miss the emphasis Sirius put on the word 'last' in his statement. Grimmauld Place may not be swarming with Dementors, but it was certainly a prison in its own way—albeit a step up from Azkaban. Not willing to let their conversation turn to talk of despair, Remus said, "Well, I wasn't too keen on kissing a woman in front of Albus."

Sirius chuckled and draped himself in the armchair resting next to the wardrobe. "Last time you shagged a woman?"

"I'm not answering that," Remus grumbled as he pulled open a drawer full of carefully folded jumpers. At Sirius' snigger, Remus peered over his shoulder and said, "Probably not as long ago as you're assuming."

They settled into a comfortable silence while Remus packed a few changes of clothes into his bag.

"What does 'not really' mean?"

Sirius' question interrupted the quiet and had Remus keeping his back turned so his friend couldn't see the flush he could feel creeping up his neck. His traitorous mind immediately pictured Nymphadora's lips, upturned and perfectly parted to accept his kiss.

In an effort to buy time, Remus rounded the bed and walked into the lavatory to fetch his toothbrush rather than Summoning it. Sirius was watching him with raised eyebrows and a smirk when he walked back to pack his toiletries.

"What does 'not really' mean?" Sirius repeated.

"It means I didn't kiss her," Remus replied, hoping he sounded as casual as he was hoping for.

Sirius' gaze narrowed. "Then you would have just said no the first time I asked."

"Is this where you threaten to kick my arse?"

Remus had meant the question as a means of putting off answering his own question, but once the words left his mouth, he found that he wondered if Sirius would indeed threaten to kick his arse in defense of his young cousin.

"You're an idiot."

Remus frowned as Sirius sighed heavily.

"You should see your face when Tonks walks into this wretched house," Sirius said, a small smile forcing its way past his scowl. "I'll take the risk of sounding like a ponce and tell you she makes you smile more than I think I've ever seen. And while I was locked away she became a grown woman who can snog whomever she'd like."

The last bit was said with the dark look that Remus so often saw on his friend's face. Their conversation so far had been lighthearted—even if slightly uncomfortable—and Remus didn't want it to turn dark. "So you're not thinking of hexing me?"

A smile quickly broke out across Sirius' face. "It's not me you'll need to worry about."

Remus furrowed his brow as he folded his least shabby set of robes and placed them on top of the rest of his packed clothes. Who else did he need to worry about? Kingsley? Arthur? As an Auror colleague—the colleague who'd recommended her as a new Order recruit—Remus didn't think he needed to worry about what Kingsley thought. It didn't hurt that Remus got on well with Kingsley, more so now that he knew for certain he wasn't competition. Nymphadora was close to the Weasleys, but he was sure there was nothing about Arthur that he needed to worry over. Perhaps Molly...

"If it makes you feel better, I don't think it's personal—I don't reckon Mad-Eye would approve of anybody fancying Tonks."

 _Bollocks_.

Mad-Eye was somebody that Remus really shouldn't have discounted. The curmudgeonly, paranoid—and, frankly, quite mad—retired Auror should never be underestimated. Mad-Eye had mentioned his protégée, of course, over the pots of tea they'd shared during the time of Nymphadora's training, but now that he'd seen them together, it was quite clear he was fond of her.

"Do you think I should be worried?"

Sirius shrugged. "Don't bollocks it up and you've no reason to be worried."

"Brilliant advice."

As Remus pulled the drawstring tight on his bag, he listened to Sirius snigger and tried to push the thought from his head that one day he might be lucky enough to have to face meeting Nymphadora's father. Merlin protect him from the protective men in her life.

* * *

A/N: I know, I know...this isn't the update you were all hoping for—I'm sorry! Please take this (slightly longer, if that helps...) chapter as a peace offering and my promise that "Friends to Lovers" will be back next week! Life with children can be completely mad sometimes, and I have five of them, so our propensity for madness is huge! Between the end of the year school stuff, spring sports, show weekend for the oldest child's ballet production, a birthday, and a First Communion, this month has been insane! But even if it takes me a few late nights, I'll have two updates for you next week. Hold me to it, dear readers!

In the mean time, enjoy this little bit:)


	9. Chapter 9

In the relatively short time that Remus had known Nymphadora Tonks, there were certain things that he had come to know intimately about her: the lovely citrus scent of her, the fact that she was likely to stumble at least once before meeting her destination of either the kitchen or drawing room of Headquarters, the sound her heavy combat-style boots made as her feet carried them up the many stairs of Headquarters. He always knew when she'd entered the house.

Today was no exception.

Except that today didn't bring with it the heady anticipation of knowing he'd soon be in the same room as the young woman who had been occupying more and more of his thoughts lately. Today he nearly dreaded her arrival. Nearly, but not quite. Even in his dour mood, just hours out from his latest transformation, there was no way he could truly dread being in her presence. The only thing he really dreaded was coming to the necessary realization that he needed to put a great deal of distance between them. It was nothing she had done, of course—if there was anything in his life to give true perspective, his monthly meeting with the full moon was it.

The usual post-transformation ritual of his favorite tea was of little comfort as the sound of Nymphadora's booted feet ascended—safely, for once—to the upper floors, presumably to change for her mission that evening with Severus. Nymphadora's mission partner and her cousin were his unfortunate company at the moment, causing his already techy mood to sour further as they bickered. He couldn't help but notice Severus' dress robes, indicating the level of formality that went along with the mission they were navigating to Malfoy Manor that evening. What would Nymphadora be wearing for such an occasion? Despite his mood, anticipation bubbled at seeing her in something other than her usual denims. Not that he minded the denims and leggings that were her usual custom—quite the opposite, really, since the delectable curve of her arse was always displayed so perfectly in such attire.

Remus shook his head. These were precisely the thoughts he needed to avoid. Frustrated by his train of thought and unable to endure two grown men jabbing and sparring at one another as if they were still adolescents, Remus pushed back from the table and stalked out of the kitchen. Maybe it was best if he simply retired to his room and avoided Nymphadora all together. Surely she wouldn't miss him.

Unfortunately, avoiding the young witch wasn't in the cards. Just as Remus had begun trudging up from the basement kitchen, he heard footsteps, softer than earlier indicating that Nymphadora's footwear choice for the evening was something other than her dragon hide boots. Remus stared openly as Nymphadora stepped more daintily than expected down the steps until she was standing even with his height. He'd never have been able to conjure to his mind the image that was before him. The cream-colored dress she was wearing showed off slender shoulders and a trim waist. Remus stopped his perusal there—it wouldn't be prudent to allow his eyes to do more than glimpse the demure amount of cleavage he spied as his gaze swept up her body to her face.

He knew he should say something as he looked at her face, expectant of some sort of response to the words she'd spoken. But his mind was blank for words as he briefly imagined himself in a set of dress robes, arm extended to escort her out of the depressing house for a night out to...anywhere, really. Even being the one to join her on the mission to Malfoy Manor, charmed in a disguise or Polyjuiced into someone allowed entrance to the grand Malfoy home, would be preferable to watching her leave on the arm of someone else whilst looking so damned lovely.

"You look…"

There weren't words to describe how she looked; everything that came to mind seemed insufficient. All he knew in that moment was that she was far too good for him, but rather than vanish the smile from her face by allowing the harsh words that were taunting him in his mind to influence his response, he forced his lips to turn up in what he hoped was some semblance of a grin. At least if she couldn't be his, he'd always have the memory tucked away in his mind of her looking so beautiful.

* * *

A/N: Posting two weeks in a row!? As my two-year-old would say..."what the heck?".

I'll be back next week with "Friends to Lovers"!


	10. Chapter 10

Remus took the stairs two at a time up to Nymphadora's flat, unrepentant in his excitement to be paired with her on the mission that would take them to the Continent to assist Hagrid. Perhaps their task would take them long enough that they'd need to secure overnight accommodations. Perhaps he'd get to see just what she looked like when she woke in the morning. Perhaps…

 _Her hair would fade from the cheerful color she'd chosen that day to the soft brown that is her natural color. I'd be lucky enough to wake early and see her face in the warm pre-dawn light-we'd shared a bed because the summer holiday season made accommodations scarce. I'd toss the heavy quilt aside, allowing the silhouette of her naked body to be seen under the white sheet. My hand would ghost over the velvety skin of her abdomen, my fingers would trace light patterns around her belly button before trailing lower..._

He shook his head to clear it of the sort of lascivious image that flashed through his mind more often of late. His hands on her skin, his lips on her body, her hands… Sweet Merlin, he needed to get ahold of his thoughts before he knocked on her door. Thoughts like these had lead him recently to more cold showers than he could remember since adolescence. It certainly wouldn't do to excuse himself to the lavatory to compose himself as soon as she welcomed him inside. Unless she accompanied him…

 _Bollocks! Focus, old man._

The smile that had rapidly broken across his face when Nmphadora had opened the door faded as quickly as his lingering arousal at the sight of Severus sitting quite comfortably in one of the armchairs. The jealousy he'd tried to temper since overhearing Sirius point out how Nymphadora had been naked in front of Severus during their mission to Malfoy Manor reared its possessive head. Even if she was under a Disllusionment Charm at the time, the thought was still unsettling. Severus seemed to sense exactly what he was feeling and smirked, keeping his eyes locked on Remus' as he rose and maneuvered through Nymphadora's messy flat.

"Lupin."

Remus always strived to keep a level head where Severus Snape was concerned. Some days were infinitely harder than others.

* * *

A/N: EEk—I nearly forgot to post this before joining a couple of girlfriends for a rare night out of the house! Here it is, as promised...a Wednesday update. It occurred to me that you all might have thought that "Friends to Lovers" was being updated today and I am so sorry to say it isn't! Stay tuned for that next week. It also occurs to me that I've been terrible about answering reviews lately. I will fix that as soon as I get this guest blog spot for NaNo finished. Enjoy!


	11. Chapter 11

Remus' eyes sprung open at the groan from the woman lying next to him that accompanied the creaking of the bed frame as she shifted under her covers. He'd only just managed to fall asleep after briefing Dumbledore on the events of their mission to the Continent. Not only had it taken a while to report to the Headmaster, but Remus had also spent a considerable amount of time settled in the chair next to Nymphadora's bed, watching as she slept and attempting to assuage his guilt over feeling responsible for the severity of her injuries. After a brief debate with himself, he'd pushed two beds together and settled down to sleep, telling himself that he most certainly needed to be within arms reach in case she needed anything throughout the night. Now he was glad he'd done so.

She was bruised and uncomfortable. Remus could help with that—and hopefully ignore the fact that with the undergarment she'd discarded to the end of the bed, Nymphadora was wearing nought but her knickers and a tee shirt. Their playful banter aided in distracting him, at least until he began massaging the tense muscles of her back. He marveled at the liberty she'd granted him as he moved his hand over her, wondering whether he was relieved or chagrined to have the soft fabric of her shirt between his hand and her skin. He'd touched her before, of course, but it had mostly been innocuous: his hand at her lower back; massaging her feet at Order meetings. There had been the one glorious mission weeks before where they'd been undercover on a supposed date and she'd sat atop his lap and pretended to snog him. As welcome as that had been, it was nothing compared to being allowed to freely run his hand over her body.

Remus inhaled deeply at the slight scent of her arousal meeting his sensitive nose. Surely he was mistaken. Could she be so affected by his simple touch? The primal side of him wanted to bend his head close to her body and investigate further, but, after brief consideration, he decided on a less obvious course.

"May I?"

Even with the evidence of her approval, Remus wouldn't make assumptions. Her fingers twined with his and the sigh that accompanied her "yes" sent his pulse racing and brought his body to full attention. He had to remind himself that she was exhausted and injured—it would be all too easy to forget their current circumstance. It was also worth reminding himself as he smoothed his hand over her warm skin that they'd not even kissed properly. If she rolled to face him, was this the right moment? Could he reign in his desire and keep it to merely a kiss when their bodies were lying pressed together, half starkers? His body was telling him likely not.

He pushed aside her hair and spoke against the silky skin of her neck. "You should sleep."

Remus made to shift away from Nymphadora's body as she rolled to her side, but was unable to force himself to put the distance between them when her fingers found their way into his hair. As her hand caressed the stubble on his jaw, Remus fought a silent battle with his desire, the small amount of rational thought he still possessed citing every argument possible against removing a couple of necessary articles of clothing.

He desperately wanted to be able to see her face the first time they made love—if such a miraculous experience were ever to take place—but spooned against her as he was, he couldn't help but think being pressed against her soft curves with one hand free to tend to her needs was a dream come true. Preoccupied with thoughts of making this dream come to fruition, Remus didn't react in time when Nymphadora shifted and he found the more attentive part of his body snuggled oh so enticingly close to where he wanted it most.

 _Good Godric!_

If not for the bothersome layers of fabric between them...It took all he had not to thrust against her. Between his wayward thoughts, her warm, soft body, and the delicious scent of her, it likely wouldn't take much for his traitorous body to be overwhelmed and embarrass him like a teenager. Remus' hand flew to Nymphadora's hip to stay her movement as he shook his mind of where he really wanted his hand to wander. The little fantasies he'd allowed himself lately were coming back to taunt him.

Drawing every ounce of control he possessed, he repeated, "You should sleep," wincing at how strained his voice sounded to his own ears. Surely there was no hiding his desire for her now.

"One of these days I'm going to snog you senseless." Her voice was relaxed, heavy with sleep in a way that sounded blissfully like how Remus hoped she'd sound if his dream did come true.

 _Merlin, I hope so._

* * *

A/N: Ahem...well then...

I hoped you liked this little glimpse into what's going through Remus' head during chapter 17 of "Jinxed Hearts".


	12. Chapter 12

"My dear old mum wants to give you something."

Remus was instantly wary of what Sirius could be holding behind his back. The calculating grin spread across his face wasn't a good sign.

"Please tell her the gesture is not necessary," Remus replied, returning to his task of comparing the two shirts he'd pulled from his wardrobe.

He was finally taking Nymphadora out for a proper date that night, and he wanted to find the least threadbare shirt he owned for the occasion. The second-hand tweed jacket he rarely wore in order to keep it ready for when a rare job interview presented itself was already lying on the bed. He'd also packed a picnic, wondering while searching the larder downstairs for a few items to supplement the strawberries and sausage rolls he'd picked up at the corner shop if the article he'd edited for the October edition of _Transfiguration Today_ would bring in enough funds to justify purchasing a bottle of wine.

"Relax, old man. It's nothing like the rest of the vile things we've come across in this house."

Sirius produced a bottle of wine from behind his back. Remus frowned. Even where one of his oldest friends was concerned, he had a hard time putting aside his pride and accepting something as simple as this.

"Don't give me that look," Sirius said with a roll of his eyes. "It's not the plonk you'd buy, and you're taking it on your date tonight."

"Who said anything about a date?" Remus had trouble suppressing the grin that threatened at the thought of finally taking out the woman he fancied.

Sirius deposited the bottle of wine on the bed and draped himself over the armchair. "Don't be a git. Molly cornered me about the picnic you packed and asked if I knew anything of it. I may not have earned an OWL in Arithmancy like you, but I can put two and two together."

The upside to residing in a house full of people was the constant company. The downside to residing in a house full of people was the constant company. There was very little privacy. Remus had thought he'd chosen a time to gather his supplies from the kitchen when it wouldn't be filled with teenagers and their never-ending appetites and the woman who constantly supplied them all with food. He'd been wrong.

"We're simply two people meeting for a meal," Remus said as he placed the nicer blue shirt on the bed.

Though he desperately wanted to call it a date, the part of him that constantly second guessed and over analyzed things told him to temper his excitement. Telling himself it was merely a meal shared between two people who were friendly towards one another kept it safe. Kept him from hoping she'd make good on her promise to snog him senseless.

"Call it what you want," Sirius taunted, "but if it's not a date you're less likely to get a good rogering at the end of the night."

Remus picked up his wand from the bed and flicked it at Sirius, locking his tongue to the roof of his mouth. The last thing he needed was any help with conjuring images of him and Nymphadora in various states of amorous behavior.

Sirius' laughter was muffled until he released the spell.

* * *

A/N: Hello and welcome back to the school year, dear readers! Yesterday I put four of my five children on the bus, my sweet five year old for his first day of Kindergarten! With our routine back in place, hopefully that means I can take a time-out from my pool filling, sunscreen applying, snack prevising, and other summer break duties and have much more time devoted to writing. Have a great week! I'll be here trying to convince my two year old that I'm just as much fun as his siblings and there's no need for him to be mad at being left at home...


	13. Chapter 13

The smell of coffee wafting from the kitchen was most welcome as Remus started down the steps. The post-date activities with Nymphadora had kept him up late the night before. Not only the glorious, likely too good to be true, better than he could have ever imagined snogging, but once he'd finally made it home to Grimmauld Place he'd been to keyed-up to sleep. All he could do was think of her—her laughter that night, the feel of her lips on his, her body under his hands, the way it had felt to be nestled in the cradle of her hips with one of her legs wrapped around his waist…. Even with the aid of a particularly dry text on the history of Appearance Charms, it had taken him some time be able to fall asleep.

Not even the prospect of having to endure Sirius or Molly once he entered kitchen could keep the smile from Remus' face. Uncaring of the verbal onslaught he would likely receive from Sirius, he pushed through the door as he hummed one of the tunes from the music in the park the night before. Nothing could dampen his mood today.

"Morning," Remus said.

Sirius looked up from scowling into his coffee mug. "Aren't you chipper this morning."

Remus' smile widened, and he went back to humming the Queen song _You Take My Breath Away_ as he pulled a mug from the cupboard and poured a cup of coffee. He paused his tune to say over his shoulder, "You're certainly up early."

"When a restless Hippogriff is locked in a room with you, there's not much sleep to be had," Sirius said wearily.

The kitchen door swung open and Mad-Eye stumped through and grunted by means of a greeting.

"Good morning, Alastor," Remus said before turning back to the counter for the milk jug. As he stirred a small bit of milk into his coffee, Remus sang a line of his song under his breath.

"All right, Lupin?" Mad-Eye asked.

"Brilliant," Remus said, turning so he was leaning against the counter. He took a sip of his coffee before asking, "Would you like some coffee?"

Remus knew instantly he'd made a mistake by the deepening of Mad-Eye's already-present scowl. As long as he had known Mad-Eye, he never drank coffee. Furthermore, the man always provided his own tea.

"Would I like coffee?" Mad-Eye grumbled as he drew his wand.

"Now you've done it, mate," Sirius said, not bothering to cover the snigger that escaped his mouth.

Before Remus could say anything to rectify the situation, Mad-Eye lunged forward—Remus vowed never again to forget how quickly he could move for an old man with one leg—and grabbed Remus by the ear, the mug of hot coffee shattering as it hit the stone floor.

The tip of Mad-Eye's wand was not something Remus wanted pointed under his chin, a fact he decided not to point out to the older man based on the death grip his fingers had on his earlobe.

"Would you kindly let go?" Remus asked, grabbing Mad-Eye's wrist in an attempt to pry his grip free.

Mad-Eye studied Remus' face and said, "Not until you prove to me who you are!"

"I'm Remus John Lupin, for the love of Merlin," Remus said through gritted teeth. "This bloody house is under a Fidelius Charm—how the hell would I be here if I weren't me?"

Mad-Eye thankfully removed his wand from under Remus' chin, but only to shine the lit tip of his wand into Remus' eyes. "Lupin's never cheerful enough to whistle."

"I'm cheerful," Remus grumbled as he tried to duck away from the light of Mad-Eye's wand.

 _I was certainly more cheerful before entering this blasted kitchen._

"Just because you're more cheery than Buckbeak does not make you cheerful," Sirius supplied helpfully as he turned the pages of the _Prophet_. "You could go ahead and tell Mad-Eye why, exactly, you're feeling _cheerful_ this morning."

Mad-Eye stopped his examination abruptly and stepped back, crossing his arms over his chest. Remus's gaze flitted back and forth between the surly and overly-suspicious wizard in front of him and the traitor sitting at the table that he used to count as a friend.

"Well?" Mad-Eye barked. "I'm waiting, Lupin."

Remus mirrored Mad-Eye's posture and crossed his arms over his chest and took a deep breath, drawing himself up to his full height—which unfortunately matched Mad-Eye's exactly. "I took Nymphadora out last night."

Thick silence filled the kitchen as Mad-Eye's lip pulled up in a way that told Remus he was ready to snarl at him for the slightest whiff of impropriety.

"Took her out for what, mind?" Mad-Eye finally asked.

The image that popped in his mind of Nymphadora straddling his lap while they snogged on her sofa caused Remus to avert his gaze from both of Mad-Eye's eyes. He resisted the urge to tug on the collar of his jumper that suddenly felt like it was strangling him.

"Dinner—a picnic. And music in the park," Remus replied.

"Did you walk her home after? Say goodnight properly?" Sirius asked, sniggering.

With the way Mad-Eye was glaring, Remus had half a mind to frog march Sirius into the Ministry and magically bind him to one of the statues in the Atrium.

Remus opened his mouth to tell Sirius to bugger off as Mad-Eye help up a hand and said, "Unless you fancy losing your bollocks, I wouldn't answer that." Mad-Eye gave Remus one last quelling look before he unfolded his arms and dug into his robes and withdrew a bundle of folded parchment.

His tense shoulders sagged with relief that Mad-Eye had thus far decided not to permanently rearrange any parts of his body. With one eye watching Mad-Eye as he settled into a seat at the table and Summoned a quill, Remus cast a _Reparo_ to mend the broken mug at his feet.

Without looking up from the report he was penning, Mad-Eye asked, "Picnic and music, huh? You check the park for threats and locate your exits?"

In Remus' opinion Sirius was asking for more trouble than it was worth when he asked, "Are Death Eaters fond of picnics?"

"They're fond of causing trouble," Mad-Eye snapped.

Remus shot Sirius a look he hoped warned his friend there wouldn't be anymore smuggled Firewhisky if he kept provoking Mad-Eye. "It was a Muggle event, Alastor," Remus said as he poured himself fresh coffee.

"All the same."

Gingerly, mindful not to make any sudden movements and spook the wizard rapidly finishing what looked like a novel-length report, Remus sat at the table and sipped his coffee.

"Remember what I told you, Lupin," Mad-Eye said, setting down his quill. He kept his eyes on Remus as he folded his report and sent it floating to the mailbox sitting next to Molly's bread box. "You hurt her, and you'll find yourself at the end of my wand."

For the life of him, Remus couldn't come up with the right thing to say. The things that popped through his mind sounded glib in his head. He settled for, "I understand."

Mad-Eye's chair suddenly scraping across the stone floor as he stood caused Remus to flinch. Chagrined though he was to be startled, he supposed it was fair to allow Mad-Eye to have the upper hand; he obviously cared a great deal for Nymphadora.

Once the kitchen door swung closed, Remus released a long breath and pushed his hands through his hair.

"Glad I'm not the one snogging Tonks," Sirius said, turning back to his paper now the show had ended. "If you're making yourself breakfast, you could fry an extra egg for me, mate."

"The plate in front of you tells me Molly's already made you eggs—not that I'd make you anything but gruel at the moment," Remus said.

"Oh, don't be arsed," Sirius said with a chuckle. "I warned you to watch out for Mad-Eye, didn't I?"

Remus rolled his eyes and stood to open the magically cooled cabinet to search for more eggs. Sirius warning him to watch out for Mad-Eye was helpful. Performing the verbal equivalent of poking the man with a stick was certainly not helpful.

His search of the cabinet turned up a full carton of eggs; Remus pulled out two and planned on frying both of them for himself.

* * *

A/N: Hello! I emerge from under the rock of web design with good news—the blog is nearly ready to go live!

I know this isn't the chapter you've all been waiting for, but please take it as a peace offering:). I promise "Friends to Lovers" will be back sometime this month.


	14. Chapter 14

Remus leaned in close to Nymphadora, letting his lips hover over the spot at her neck below her ear where her pink hair was downy soft whisps. He didn't let his lips touch her skin—he'd found he didn't need to. She responded to his voice alone.

"Shall I walk you home?"

He whispered the words and sat back to fully enjoy what was to come. As he'd hoped, Nymphadora's lips turned up into a grin, and he watched as she sat up straighter and her shoulders trembled-as if a shiver had run up her spine.

She turned her head and said, "Yes," in a way that conjured images of her consenting to something far less innocent than walking her home.

Remus' nights were full of her, even when they weren't together. His fantasies were becoming such that he had trouble focusing on anything other than thoughts of her. Her trembling, not at the sound of his voice, but as he rocked his body against hers. Her as she sat astride him, head tipped back as she murmured his name before crying out in pleasure. Her as his hands explored her skin while washing her body in the shower.

"Are you ready?"

Remus started. Visions of his soapy hands rubbing circles over Nymphadora's naked bottom still danced in his head. "Ready?"

A grin tugged at Nymphadora's lips as she said, "Ready to walk me home?"

"Of course," Remus' croaked before clearing his throat.

She leaned in and whispered, "Do you want to come in for a while?"

Remus stood and offered his hand to help her to her feet. Once her fingers threaded through his, he tugged her to her feet and lead her to the door and hoped nobody (namely Mad-Eye) noticed his haste.

Her flat was always messy, which gave Remus no pause in interrupting their kiss to push the accumulation of robes and multi-colored socks and denims collected on her sofa to the floor. Nymphadora giggled, and Remus was delighted that she sounded as breathless as he felt. They came together again and kissed as though they'd been separated for weeks rather than the one evening they'd spent apart for guard duty the night before.

Though he knew they should keep their snogging limited to the upright position on the couch as to not get carried away, Remus put up no protest when Nymphadora placed her hands on his shoulders and guided him backwards until his knees met the edge of the now-decluttered sofa. When she wordlessly suggested he lie back and climbed atop him, he didn't argue. How could he think properly with her soft lips moving with his and her breasts pressed against him?

With agonizing regard, she maneuvered her body so they were aligned perfectly, the warmth of her tempting him to lose his head completely. As Remus fought to keep his hands in a somewhat respectable location, Nymphadora broke their kiss.

Remus swallowed his disappointment and loosened his grip on her bum. "Do you want to stop?"

"Gods, no," Nymphadora replied. She grinned and asked, "What were you thinking about when I was saying goodby to Snuffles?"

 _Bollocks._

Remus hoped the low lighting hid the flush creeping up his neck. He shrugged and said, "You."

"I should hope so." Nymphadora touched her lips to his, but immediately pulled away again. "Were you thinking about this?"

Remus chuckled. "My mind was a few steps ahead of this, I'm afraid."

She lowered her head and whispered into his ear, "Do tell, Professor."

Her breath was warm against his skin and one of her hands toyed with the hair at his nape. It was possible there was nothing he would deny her in that moment.

"Think warm water," Remus murmured as his hands glided in circles over her bum as they had in his earlier fantasy.

She shivered and said, "Good start."

Her voice was breathy and Remus held her close, encouraging the way her body moved against his. He didn't know what it was about his voice that affected her so, but he would continue to use it to his advantage as long as his current luck held out. With his lips ghosting against the warm skin of Nymphadora's neck, Remus murmured, "and soap-covered hands."

Nymphadora's lips covered his, and Remus responded, inviting her tongue to dance with his, which she did with delightful abandon. It made him wonder if any kiss he'd shared with a woman up to this moment mattered, wonder how he'd survived this much of his life without her.

* * *

A/N: I know, I know...it's been forever! But here I am, back with a smidgen of update. I'd fill you in on what's kept me away, but it's terribly dull. I'll be back with an update to "Friends" by this weekend.

I hope some of you have stuck around during my absence—I'm hoping you'll be around to read some things I'd like to post to help pull me out of a writing slump. I've got some half-finished projects I think I'll dust off (along with "Friends", I promise!) to stretch my fingers a bit. Drop me review to let me know you're still with me:)


End file.
